Container with content monitoring and reporting capabilities

ABSTRACT

An activity monitor is associated with a container, such as a medication bottle, and includes one or more detectors configured to detect activity associated with the bottle, such as movement, opening and/or closing, and changes in volume and/or mass. The activity monitor may include alerting devices and be programmed with scheduling information. The activity monitor may also, or instead, communicate with one or more remote devices such as a user device or monitoring system, such as to receive programming information from those devices or to output activity information to those devices.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/198,582, filed Jun. 30, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,026,295, which isa continuation-in-part of, and claims the benefit of, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/057,289, filed Mar. 1, 2016, which applicationis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/610,641, filedJan. 30, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,361,772, which application is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/933,101, filed Jul.1, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,976,036, which application is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/593,514, filed Aug.24, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,502,692, which application is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/503,065, filed Jul.14, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,279,076. The above-referenced applicationsare incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

One of the cruelest jokes we have ever played on ourselves is the namingof the memory medicine Ginkgo Biloba. Not a smart marketing strategyeither. Nonetheless, the product tends to sell and a reason for thesales may simply be that most of us are plagued and frustrated by memoryfailures. These symptoms manifest itself in trying to remember aperson's name, an item that our spouse asked us to pick up at thegrocery store, or even simply the reason that we got up off of thecouch, walked all the way into another room in the house and then stoodthere wondering why. Most of these situations can be comically laughedoff; however, there are situations where memory failures can be quiteproblematic or even catastrophic.

A perfect example of a situation in which the adverse effect of memorylapses can be realized is in the taking or administering of medication.Depending on the medication and the individual, failure to takemedication can result in severe harm. In view of this, one canappreciate that it can be very important to remember to take oradminister medication, and to do so in a timely manner. Thus, what isneeded in the art is a mechanism that can remind or notify an individualthat he or she must take or administer medication, and even when themedication must be taken or administered.

Another example of a situation in which the adverse effect of memorylapses can be realized is in remembering that you have already receivedor administered a medication. Such memory lapses can result in anoverdose of a medication. In view of this, one can appreciate that itwould be advantageous to have a device that keeps track of taken and/oradministered dosages, notifies or alerts an individual attempting totake or administer an overdose and/or takes measures to help preventoverdosing.

Most medications that are prescribed to individuals, as well as animals,are provided in containers, such as pill bottles, bottles of serum, orpill pouches etc. The packaging for medication can conveniently operateas a dosage reminder/control gateway in that the person taking oradministering the medication at a minimum, must approach the packagingto obtain the dosage. In view of this characteristic, there is a need inthe art for a dosage reminder or overdose preventer mechanism that canbe attached to, adhered to or otherwise be associated with thepackaging.

Related to these needs in the art there are additional needs in the artwith respect to determining if a container in general has been opened,moved, tampered with, etc., as well as providing historical data aboutsuch activity with the container and providing alerts regarding suchactivity. These needs in the art can arise in a variety of settings, anda few examples include detecting movement or opening of a liquor bottle,detecting opening of a liquor of gun cabinet, detect movement of amoisture testing apparatus, etc.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a device that can be used todetect when a container, such as a medicine package or otherwise, hasbeen moved, opened or otherwise tampered with, collecting and storinginformation about such activity, and reporting to or alerting a personor system of such activity.

SUMMARY

In a broad sense, the disclosure presents an activity monitor that canbe attached, affixed or integrated into a variety of devices, such as tothe existing packaging of consumer goods that otherwise would not havesuch capability, and provide monitoring, alerting and/or reportingactivity associated with the device. In one embodiment, the activitymonitor operates as a medicine reminder. This embodiment includes aschedule which can be pre-programmed at the factory, the doctor's officeor the pharmacist, can be programmed by the user, can be programmedremotely (such as via an interface to a user device or a monitoringsystem) or simply be programmed automatically by learning the behaviorof the user. The activity monitor is affixed to the medicine bottle andactivity associated with the bottle, such as movement, opening, volumechanges, etc. are monitored in view of the schedule. If the scheduleindicates that a dose of medicine should be taken at a particular time,but the monitored activity does not determine that the medicine has beentaken, an alert signal will be issued to alert the user that it is timeto take the medicine. In addition, if the monitored activity indicatesthat the medicine bottle has been opened prior to a scheduled time, thena tamper alert can be triggered.

In another embodiment, the activity monitor operates only as a tamperdetector. In this embodiment, the activity monitor is attached to adevice or container and then started. Any movement or activityassociated with the device or container is analyzed and/or recorded andmay result in triggering a tamper alarm. In some embodiments, the tamperdetector may define windows of time during which activity is permittedto occur and during which activity is not permitted to occur. Activityoccurring during a permitted window will not trigger a tamper alarm.

These and many other embodiments, as well as various features, aspectsand functions of the various embodiments are more fully presented below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are conceptual depictions of one embodiment of theactivity monitor with FIG. 1A illustrating a top view and FIG. 1Billustrating a side view.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the components of an exemplaryembodiment of the electronic circuitry.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating one environment suitable forvarious embodiments of the activity monitor.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another environment suitablefor various embodiments of the activity monitor.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another environment suitablefor various embodiments of the activity monitor.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an activity monitor with anadhesive connector.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an activity monitor builtinto a cap structure.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an alternate location ofattaching the activity monitor to a bottle.

FIG. 9 is a state diagram illustrating the operation of a programmableuser interface in an exemplary embodiment of the activity monitor.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary steps in an embodimentof the learning mode.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating typical steps in an exemplaryoperational mode.

FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B show perspective views of a scale-type activitymonitor, according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 13 shows an exploded view of the scale-type activity monitor shownin FIGS. 12A and 12B.

FIG. 14 shows a section view of the scale-type activity monitor shown inFIGS. 12A and 12B.

FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B show a scale-type activity monitor embedded withina container to measure the mass of the container and any contentstherein, according to one exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 16 shows an exemplary bottle configured to receive the scale-typeactivity monitor shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B.

FIG. 17 shows an exemplary housing of the scale-type activity monitorshown in FIGS. 15A and 15B.

FIG. 18 shows a section view of the scale-type activity monitor shown inFIGS. 15A and 15B.

FIG. 19A and FIG. 19B show a scale-type activity monitor embedded withina container to measure the mass of any contents therein, according toone exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 20 shows an exemplary bottle configured to receive the scale-typemonitor shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B.

FIG. 21 shows an exemplary loading platform of the scale shown in FIGS.19A and 19B.

FIG. 22 shows an exemplary housing of the scale shown in FIGS. 19A and19B.

FIG. 23 shows a section view of the scale-type activity monitor shown inFIGS. 19A and 19B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present disclosure, as well as features and aspects thereof, isdirected towards an activity monitoring or detection device, apparatus,system and/or method that monitors or detects activity associated with acontainer. The activity monitoring device or system has particularutility to a medicant container, although it will be appreciated thatthe activity monitor presented in this disclosure may be used in avariety of settings and environments, and may be used for a variety ofpurposes. Specific examples are illustrated and described within thedisclosure to provide a general, overall and specific understanding ofthe various aspects, functions, operations and capabilities of theactivity monitor but, such specific examples are provided asnon-limiting examples.

One specific example in which an embodiment of the activity monitor maybe utilized in within the context of a medicine bottle or container. Inthis example, the activity monitor can operate as a medicine reminderto: (a) signal a user that it is time to take or administer the specificprescription medication, vitamin, over the counter medication, herb etc.(collectively referred to as medicine) that is stored in the bottle, (b)alert or indicate to the user that the medicine has already been takenand that no additional dosages are due at the present time, (c) assistthe user in finding the medicine bottle, and/or (d) alert or indicate tothe user that someone has moved or opened the bottle at an inappropriatetime.

Further elaborating on the activity monitor for a medicine bottle, oneembodiment may include a small device that can be attached to the top orcap of the medicine bottle. When the cap on the monitored medicinebottle has not been opened at a scheduled time the activity monitorenters a “reminder alert” state indicating that the content in themedicine bottle has not been take at its scheduled time or within ascheduled window of time. Additionally, the activity monitor can alertthe user if the container has been improperly tampered with by someonethat the content is not intended for (e.g. teenage kids in thehousehold) and signals this to the user by entering a “tamper alert”state. Further, the activity monitor can provide a higher-level ofservice by recording and providing or sending the time and the dosagetaken of a medication to a central monitoring system. This information,along with other information that can be collected by other healthmonitoring devices (such as that manufactured by Dexcom) attached to thebody can be pertinent information to provide a more real-time evaluationof the performance and impact that a medication is having on a patient,rather than having to make a 2-month follow-up visit.

Turning now to the figures in which several embodiments of the activitymonitor are presented and common elements are represented with commonlabels, the various elements of the embodiments are presented in moredetail.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are conceptual depictions of one embodiment of theactivity monitor with FIG. 1A illustrating a top view and FIG. 1Billustrating a side view. The activity monitor 100 includes a case 110.Positioned on the top of the case 110 are four buttons 120 (A, B, C andD) and an alert element 130. The activity monitor 100 includeselectronic circuitry and/or software, including an accelerometer and abattery power source 140 (shown in dotted lines as they are embeddedwithin the device). The electronic circuitry interfaces to the fourbuttons or actuators 120, the accelerometer and the alert element 130.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the components of an exemplaryembodiment of the electronic circuitry 140. It will be appreciated thatnot all of the components illustrated in FIG. 2 are required in allembodiments of the activity monitor but, each of the components arepresented and described in conjunction with FIG. 2 to provide a completeand overall understanding of the components. The electronic circuitrycan include a general computing platform 140 illustrated as including aprocessor/memory device 204 that may be integrated with each other or,communicatively connected over a bus or similar interface 206. Theprocessor 204 can be a variety of processor types includingmicroprocessors, micro-controllers, programmable arrays, custom IC'setc. and may also include single or multiple processors with or withoutaccelerators or the like. The memory element of 204 may include avariety of structures, including but not limited to RAM, ROM, magneticmedia, optical media, bubble memory, FLASH memory, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.The processor, or other components may also provide components such as areal-time clock, analog to digital convertors, digital to analogconvertors, etc. The processor 204 also interfaces to a variety ofelements including a control interface 202, a display adapter 208, audioadapter 210, an accelerometer 212 and network/device interface 214. Thecontrol interface 202 provides an interface to external controls 120,such as sensor, actuators or the like. The display adapter 208 can beused to drive a variety of alert elements 130, such as display devicesincluding an LED display, LCD display, one or more LEDs or other displaydevices. The audio adapter 210 interfaces to and drives another alertelement 130′, such as a speaker or speaker system, buzzer, bell, etc.The network/device interface 214 may interface to a variety of devices(not shown) such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pin pad, and audio activatedevice, a PS3 or other game controller, as well as a variety of the manyother available input and output devices or, another computer orprocessing device 226. The network/device interface 214 can also be usedto interface the computing platform 140 to other devices through anetwork 220 (LAN/WAN/Internet, etc.). The network may be a localnetwork, a wide area network, wireless network, a global network such asthe Internet, or any of a variety of other configurations includinghybrids, etc. The network/device interface 214 may be a wired interfaceor a wireless interface. The computing platform 140 is shown asinterfacing to a remote monitoring system or server 222 and to one ormore a third party systems 224, such as through the network 220. Abattery or power source 228 provides power for the computing platform140. In other embodiments, as described below, the activity monitormight comprise detection or measuring devices and one or morecommunication interfaces which communicate the output of those devices(in raw, unprocessed form, or in processed form) to one or more remotedevices (such as directed to a user's device, such as a PDA, tablet,computer, smart phone or the like, or to the monitoring system 222).

In some embodiments the activity monitor may interact with otheractivity monitors or devices through a ZigBee type network architecture.In such an embodiment, the activity monitors can gain intelligence bydetecting, receiving and learning other activities or other drugs,medications or substances that were also taken, and at what time (e.g.other vitamins with certain food, this drug with this food, etc.) andthen interface with the other devices to provide recommendations,warnings or instructions about any potential overdoses, druginteractions, etc.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating one environment suitable forvarious embodiments of the activity monitor. In this embodiment, theactivity monitor 100 is shown as being attached or affixed to a medicinebottle 300 containing medicine to be administered. The activity monitor100 is attached to the top cap of the medicine bottle using any of avariety of techniques, including gluing, adhesive tape, snaps or similarrigid connectors, a screw, tabs, etc. One embodiment of the activitymonitor 100 includes a pre-attached adhesive tape component with aprotective cover. In this embodiment, to attach the activity monitor 100to the medicine bottle 300, the adhesive protector is simply removed andthe tacky surface is pressed against the medicine bottle top or cap.From this point, the activity monitor 100 is then ready to be programmedor activate to schedule and/or monitor use of the content in thecontainer.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another environment suitablefor various embodiments of the activity monitor. In this embodiment, theactivity monitor 100 is shown as being attached, affixed or integratedinto a cork or stopper for a bottle, such as a liquor bottle, medicinebottle or any other type bottle 400. In this embodiment, the activitymonitor 100 can come with the bottle 400 or sold separately and useafter the bottle is initially opened. Once the stopper with the activitymonitor 100 is inserted into the bottle, the bottle can then bemonitored.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another environment suitablefor various embodiments of the activity monitor. In this embodiment, theactivity monitor 100 is shown as being attached, affixed or integratedinto a screw-on bottle cap 510, such as a liquor bottle, medicine bottleor any other type bottle 500. In this embodiment, the activity monitor100 can come with the bottle 500 or sold separately and use after thebottle is initially opened. Once the stopper with the activity monitor100 is attached to the cap and the cap is placed onto the bottle, thebottle can then be monitored.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an activity monitor with anadhesive connector. In this embodiment, underside of the activitymonitor 100 includes an adhesive tape, such as a double-sided tape 600that is attached to the underside of the activity monitor 100. Theopposing side of the adhesive tape is typically covered by a plasticcoating or shield to prevent the adhesive from inadvertently beingattached to a surface or gathering debris. Various other attachmentmechanisms may also be used including Velcro or any loop and hooktechnique as well as similar structures. When the activity monitor 100is being put to use, the plastic cover can be removed and the activitymonitor 100 can be attached to the surface of the container or object tobe monitored.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an activity monitor builtinto a cap structure. In this embodiment, the activity monitor 100 isintegrated into a cap 700 that can be attached to various bottlescompatible with the given cap size. As is typical for a bottle cap,ridges 710 may be included on the surface of the cap to facilitateremoval and placement.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an alternate location ofattaching the activity monitor to a bottle.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the activity monitor may come in awide variety of shapes, sizes, forms, configurations etc., and theabove-presented embodiments have been provided as non-limiting examples.

Operation of the Activity Monitor

The operation of the activity monitor will be described in threefunctional stages to facilitate a better understanding. However, itshould be appreciated that the functional stages can be mutuallyexclusive of each other or, in some embodiments two or more stages maycoexist on a single activity monitor.

The three stages include: (1) programming; (2) operational; and (3)reporting.

Programming Stage

The programming stage involves the setting up of the activity monitor toperform a desired function. The activity monitor can be provided as apre-programmed device with fixed, non-changeable settings or, theactivity monitor can include a user interface for changing, modifyingand programming the operation of the activity monitor. In the formerembodiment, the programming stage of the activity monitor occurs duringfactory construction or, may simply be a default due to memory and/orhardware configurations of the activity monitor. In the latterembodiment, the activity monitor includes a user interface that allowsthe user to program, modify or configure the operation of the activitymonitor.

The programming of the activity monitor configures the activity monitorfor a specific application or use. In one embodiment, the activitymonitor is set at factory fabrication to include one or more operationalconfigurations. Thus, the activity monitor can be fabricated fordifferent and specific applications. In other embodiments, generalpurpose activity monitors that include several pre-programmed featurescan be configured at fabrication. In yet other embodiments, the activitymonitor may include configurable features and operations that can beselected and/or adjusted after fabrication, either at the factory or bya distributor, seller, OEM, or user of the activity monitor.

For programmable embodiments, the activity monitor will include aninterface for either programming the activity monitor, selectingfeatures of the activity monitor, or setting parameters to adjust theoperation of one or more features of the activity monitor. Theprogramming interface may range from a rudimentary interface of a fewbuttons with audible or LED light feedback confirmation to an elaborate,PC based application program that configures and programs the activitymonitor through a port, such as a wireless port (e.g. 802.11, Bluetooth,ZigBee, etc.) or a wired port (e.g. USB, FIREWIRE, etc.). Furthermore,such an application may allow various software downloads into theactivity monitor, including software upgrades, selection and activationof desired features, parameter settings, etc. Furthermore, programmingcan occur from the system level based on information that was obtainedbased on the customers use pattern. Doctors, pharmaceuticals, children.Grandparents, etc. who are authorized to make schedule changes canprogram the device from the system.

Operational Stage

Once the activity monitor is programmed, it is ready to enteroperational stage. However, the activity monitor may remain dormant foran extended period of time before it placed into the operational stage.Also, the reader should understand that even if the operational stage isentered, the programming stage can be reentered at any time forembodiments that allow reprogramming of the activity monitor. Theoperational stage may be entered or triggered in a variety of fashions.A few non-limiting examples including pushing an “on” button, removing aplastic cover over the battery to allow continuity, removing a coverfrom a photovoltaic sensor, etc. During the operational stage, theactivity monitor monitors various sensors and makes operationaldecisions based on such monitoring. For instance, the activity monitormay monitor one or more accelerometers, a photovoltaic sensor, biometricsensor, a pressure switch, a magnetic switch, an electromagnetic switch,RFID detectors, user interface buttons etc. During the operationalstage, the activity monitor may also record data into its internalmemory or, transmit date to an external device over a wired or wirelessinterface.

Reporting Stage

Upon completion of the operational stage or, at some point after theoperational stage is entered, it may be desired to extract data from theactivity monitor. This is referred to as the reporting stage. The typesof data, frequency of reports, etc. can vary greatly depending on theparticular use of the activity monitor. In any case, in the reportingstage the data that is stored internal to the activity monitor or, thathas been previously extracted is reviewed and any necessary reports thatreflect information about the data can be generated.

Examples of Embodiments

Although the reader will appreciate that a wide variety of uses could beemployed for the activity monitor, a few non-limiting examples areprovided to illustrate the various capabilities, aspects and functionsof various embodiments of the activity monitor.

Medicine Reminder

One feature that may be incorporated into an embodiment of the activitymonitor includes the medicine reminder feature. This feature operates toalert a person or a person caring for a person, patient, animal, etc.,that it is time to administer a dosage of the medication containedwithin a bottle. Thus, the activity monitor is attached to the bottle ofinterest. The activity monitor is programmed to provide an alert at thespecific dosage times. For instance, if the medicine is to be taken in 4dosages throughout a 24-hour period, the activity monitor can beprogrammed to provide the alert every 6 hours. In some embodiments, theexact hours are fixed (such as 6 am, 12 pm, 6 pm and 12 am) but, inother embodiments the exact hours can be adjusted through the userinterface, at the factory or based on the specific times that theactivity monitor is used in the learn mode (e.g., 8 am, 12 pm, 5 pm and11 pm—because this works best with the user's schedule) configuration.When the activity monitor provides the alert, the activity monitor thenbegins to monitor the bottle activity. If the activity monitor does notdetect that the bottle has been tended to, such as the accelerometerdetecting that the bottle has been moved or opened, or other sensors inthe activity monitor detect activity that indicates the same, then theactivity monitor may be programmed to provide an escalating alertnotification (e.g., an increasingly louder alarm). If the activitymonitor detects that the bottle has been moved or opened, or thatmedicine has been removed from the container, then the alarm canautomatically be reset. In other embodiments, the activity monitor mayinclude a reset button to silence the alert condition and begin the nextcycle.

Medicine Alarm

Another feature that may be incorporated into an embodiment of theactivity monitor includes the medicine alarm. The feature operates tohelp prevent over dosages of a medication. For instance, if this featureis combined with the medicine reminder feature, once the activitymonitor detects that the medication has been taken, a lock-out timer canbe initiated. If the activity monitor detects that the bottle orcontainer has been moved or opened during the lock-out period, an alertcan be triggered to notify the user that no dosages are presently due tobe administered or taken.

Tamper Detector

Another feature that may be incorporated into an embodiment of theactivity monitor includes a tamper detector. As a tamper detector, theactivity monitor can be affixed or attached to a variety of items orcontainers. If the activity monitor detects that the device or containerhas been moved, opened, jarred, etc., it can record such information asa data entry and/or provide an alert indicator. The tamper detector mayalso include windows of time at which activity would be considered to bea tamper, and windows of time during which activity is permissible. Forinstance, liquor bottles in a bar would include a window of permissibleactivity during working hours but, if the bottle is moved while the baris closed, this would be considered as a tamper. The tamper detector maybe configured such that the entrance of a specific key sequence orauthorization code can be used to silence the alarm or exit the alarmstate. If the code is not entered properly, the alarm conditioncontinues. Further, rather than simply sounding an alarm, the tamperdetector may also include an interface to provide external notification(i.e., POTS, Cellular, Internet, etc.).

Closed-Loop Medication Monitor

It will be appreciated that the interaction of medication with anindividual can vary depending on a wide variety of circumstances andelements. Such circumstances and elements can include the body weight ofthe individual, the individual's metabolism, the dietary habits of theindividual, the saturation of the medication in the individual, theabsorption rate of the medication, etc. For instance, the activitymonitor can be integrated into or with other monitors, sensors anddevices to provide an overall control mechanism for the administrationof medication. As an example, the activity monitor operating as amedicine reminder may be programmed to administer certain dosages ofmedication at specific times. However, in response to feedback fromother sources, such feedback being associated with one or more of theabove-identified circumstances and elements, as well as others, thedosage amount and periodicity of the dosage can be modified inreal-time. Thus, such an embodiment provides a closed-loop monitoringsystem that can help to optimize the administration of medications.

To further facilitate the understanding of the various aspects, featuresand applications of the various embodiments of the activity monitor, afew additional non-limiting examples are provided.

Simplified User Interface

In one embodiment, the activity monitor includes simplified userinterface for programming of the medicine reminder function. In theembodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the activity monitor includes4 buttons. However, it will be appreciated that the activity monitor caninclude more or fewer buttons and the 4-button configuration is providedas a non-limiting example only. In the illustrated embodiment, themedicine reminder operation can be set by a user pressing one of thefour buttons and holding it down for a given period of time (i.e., 10seconds) to select the mode of operation associated with the button. Ifthe buttons are labeled 1, 2, 3, 4, pressing and holding the button canactivate the medicine reminder to sound an alarm for the selected numberof dosages, periodically through a 24-hour period beginning at thecurrent time. Thus, if the user presses and holds the 3 button down forthe required period of time, the user will be notified to take a dose atthe current time (or this may simply be assumed) and then, notifiedagain every 8 hours that another dosage is due.

In other embodiments, the activity monitor may include intelligence thatmonitors the activity of the user and adjusts the schedule accordingly.For instance, if the user takes a certain medication regularly, if theactivity monitor detects that the user is always 1 hour late for aparticular dose, then the activity monitor may adjust the dosage time tomore align with the user's schedule. Further, the user may be allowed toprogram the activity monitor to provide alert notifications at specifictimes. Thus, the user can have a schedule that is not exactly aligned ona periodic basis but is within prescribed parameters for the particularmedication. Further, the schedule may be adjusted due to other factorsor data received from other sources. For instance, environmental issues(i.e., atmosphere, temperature, stress levels, sleep quantity/quality,etc.) may be used to retard or accelerate the dosage due notice. Forinstance, in the case of a migraine patient, a sudden change inbarometric pressure may trigger an earlier notification to take a drugsuch as Topamax or a Triptan.

Programmable User Interface

FIG. 9 is a state diagram illustrating the operation of a programmableuser interface in an exemplary embodiment of the activity monitor. Inthis embodiment, the activity monitor 100 can be programmed for multiplealerting times (such as four schedules) within a given period of time,typically a 24-hour period. It should be appreciated that although thepresent example is described as including up to four alert times withina 24-hour period, that any number of alert times over any period of timecould also be utilized. For instance, the alerts could be based on atime period of a week, 12 hours, or any other time period includingvarying times between dosages.

In the embodiment being described, a new activity monitor is firstresident in the dormant state 902. In the dormant state, the activitymonitor does not have any power being applied to the circuitry. To exitthe dormant state 902, power is applied to the activity monitor.Applying power can be accomplished in a variety of techniques including,but not limited to, moving a switch, installing a battery, removing abattery isolator plastic strip, or the like. Once power is applied tothe activity monitor, the activity monitor transitions to the virginmode 904.

In the virgin mode 904, the activity monitor has power applied to itbut, it has not received any programming information or, has notreceived the necessary programming details for operation.

The embodiment being described includes a learning mode 906 tofacilitate self-programming or assisted programming of the activitymonitor. Once the activity monitor is attached to a cap or container,the initial programming is performed by first placing the activitymonitor into a “learning mode”. In an illustrative embodiment, to enterthe learning mode, an actuation by a user is performed. For example, auser may press and hold a particular button, such as the top or centerbutton 130 for a period of time, such as 10 seconds, to cause atransition to the learning mode 906. However, it will also beappreciated that the activity monitor may automatically transition fromthe virgin mode 904 to the learning mode 906 after being powered up orafter a particular period of time. In addition, some embodiments maytransition from the dormant mode 902 directly to the learning mode 906.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary steps in an embodimentof the learning mode. Once the learning mode 906 has been entered, anindicator can be provided as feedback to the user 1002. For instance, toindicate that the activity monitor is in the learning mode 906, the fourexternal LED's 120 can blink, alternating between red and green. Whenthe activity monitor 100 enters the learning mode 906, it resides inthis mode for a programming period of time, such as 24-hours. During theprogramming period, the activity monitor monitors the use of, andmemorizes/records the use of the container associated with the activitymonitor.

In a typical learning mode 906, a loop can be entered to program one ormore schedules based on activity associated with the container.Initially the activity monitor looks for the detection of activity 1004.The first time that the container is opened, accessed or moved withinthe programming period while learning mode is active, the activitymonitor records the time of the activity and associates the time withthe program for schedule 1. For instance, in a particular embodiment, ifactivity is detected 1004, then the time of the activity is recorded forone of the available schedules (such as the next incrementalschedule(n)) 1006. Prior to accepting the activity as a validprogramming, the activity monitor may conduct an analysis of theactivity 1008. The analysis applies heuristics or rules to verify thatthe activity detected actually constitutes a programming request. Theheuristics may include a variety of rules or criteria. A fewnon-limiting examples include:

(a) is the activity too proximate to other recent activity

(b) did the activity meet a threshold activity level, was it too shortto constitute an opening, was it too long, etc.

(c) is the current time an increment of previously stored scheduletimes?

(d) automatically suggesting activating specific times of use based onthe med type, information received from the doctor and systems and infofrom the sleeping patterns, etc.

Once the activity monitor accepts the activity as a programming action,the program schedule is update and an indicator that schedule(n) hasbeen programmed can be provided through indicator(n) 1010. Thus, thetime of the activity may be stored in a memory location associated witha first schedule, with each of the LED's on the activity monitor beingassociated with a schedule as well. After programming the firstschedule, the first LED is changed to represent that the programming forthat schedule has been accepted and is complete. For instance, the LEDmay change from alternating between red and green to being a solidgreen, or simply flashing green. The remaining LED's on the activitymonitor continue blinking to show that learning mode is still active.

The activity monitor then determines if the learning mode should beexited 1012 and if not, processing continues at step 1004. At thispoint, it should be appreciated that if the activity monitor is beingprogrammed for a medication that is only taken once a day, then thereare no further steps necessary and the learning mode can be exited. Atthe end of the programming period, the learning mode will be exited withonly one schedule being programmed. However, the user should be carefulnot to take the medication the following day any sooner than a triggerthreshold from the first administration to ensure that the activitymonitor is not confused as to whether this is a second dosage in thecycle or the beginning of a next cycle. In some embodiments, theactivity monitor may query the user to resolve such a conflict.

In addition, some embodiments may also include an actuation mechanism toexit learning mode. For instance, the same actuation used to enter thelearning mode, or some other actuation, may be used to exit the learningmode. As a specific example, when the learning mode is active, the usermay exit the learning mode by either allowing the programming period toexpire or, by manually exiting the learning mode (i.e., pressing andholding one of the buttons 120 for 10 seconds as a non-limitingexample).

For medications or items that are taken multiple times per day or perprogramming period, the user simply takes such content at the necessarytimes as prescribed/desired during the initial programming period whilein the learning mode is active. The activity monitor detects activityassociated with the container and, if it concludes that a dosage hasbeen taken, the activity monitor records the additional scheduled timesof use in the other scheduled time periods. For any schedule period thatis not scheduled after the initial programming period learning mode(e.g. schedule #3 and schedule #4 in an example where the user takesdosages only twice daily) the LED's will be clear indicating that thereis no activity associated with those schedules.

Thus, the learning mode can be exited 1012 in a variety of mannersincluding, but not limited to, the programming period expiring, the useractuating an exit button or the conclusion of programming each of theavailable schedules.

Prior to exiting the learning mode, the activity monitor may perform avalidation step 1041 to ensure that the programming information iscorrect or is logical. The activity monitor can look at theabove-identified heuristics as well as other heuristics to determine ifthe program entries appear to be a valid program. For instance, if threeschedules are entered in 6 hour increments and a fourth schedule isprogrammed two hours from the third schedule, the activity monitor maytrigger a programming alert to the user. Depending on the embodiments ofthe invention, the programming alert may simply flash indicating thatthe programming is invalid and needs to be reprogrammed or, a moreelaborate user interface may be employed to indicate what thequestionable programming entries are and allow the user to remedy oroverride.

After the initial programming period, the activity monitor exits thelearning mode 906 and enters operational mode or monitoring mode 908. Inthe operational mode 908, the activity monitor monitors the activityassociated with the container in view of the program schedules. Byapplying a set of heuristics or rules, the activity monitor makes adetermination as to whether or not compliance with the programmedschedules appears to have occurred or if action needs to be taken. FIG.11 is a flow diagram illustrating typical steps in an exemplaryoperational mode.

Initially, the activity monitor 100 may provide an indicator that theactivity monitor is in operational mode 1102. The operational mode 908indicator can be presented in a variety of manners, such as a constantlyilluminated LED, a flashing sequence of LED's or the any of a variety ofother techniques. Similar to the learning mode 906, the operational mode908 then looks for the detection of activity associated with thecontainer but, the operational monitor loop also looks at the programschedules. In the illustrated embodiment, the activity monitor 100 seeksto detect activity associated with the container 1104. If activity isnot detected the program scheduling is examined to determine if an eventhas been missed 1106. If an event has been missed, an alert indicator isprovided 1108 and the alert mode 910 is entered. As a specific example,if a user fails to remove the cap of a container within a thresholdperiod of time after a scheduled time (i.e., 15 minutes as anon-limiting example), the activity monitor provides an alert indicatorand then enters an alert mode 910. In addition, the LED in the scheduleperiod in which the cap has not been opened will blink RED furtherindicating that the content has not been taken.

If activity is detected 1104, then the activity is analyzed in view ofthe afore-mentioned heuristics and rules, as well as others, in view ofthe program schedules 1110. If the activity is valid and is associatedwith a valid, scheduled event, then an indicator may be provided thatthe programmed event has been satisfied 1114 and processing continues atstep 1104 to monitor additional activity. However, if the detectedactivity is not valid or associated with a valid event, then theactivity monitor may trigger a tamper alert and provide an alertindicator 1108 as it transitions into the alert mode 910. As an example,one embodiment of the activity monitor may by default, monitor the useof the cap during the scheduled times and transition to an alert mode ifthe cap is removed more than 30 minutes prior to a scheduled period. Inone embodiment, the activity monitor, when entering tamper alert mode,may chirp rapidly and loud and flash the LED, indicating that the caphas been removed outside of the scheduled periods of use. In otherembodiments, a silent alarm may be employed so that only the valid userknows that the container has been tampered. In yet other embodiments, asignal may be sent to another device, such as a cellular telephone orpager through any of a variety of transmission techniques, to sound analarm or provide a tamper alert indicator. It will be appreciated that awide variety of alerts can be provided in the various embodiments. A fewnon-limiting examples include pre-recorded phrases, sound clips, ringtones, buzzers, tones, vibrations, pings, or the like.

As previously described, the alert mode may be entered due to a missedscheduled event or due to a tamper event. Other alert modes may also bedefined and employed in other embodiments of the activity monitor. Inthe described embodiment, the alert mode can be reset or exited if thealert was caused by a missed event. However, if the alert was caused bya tamper, the activity monitor cannot be reset or, can only be reset byentering a pass code.

To exit the alert mode, the user must actuate the device. In oneembodiment, the alert mode 910 may be exited simply by opening thecontainer and taking the medicine dosage. In other embodiments, one ormore buttons can be pressed and held for a period of time to cause atransition out of the alert mode 910. Various exit means may also beused if it is desired to have the activity monitor exit to a desiredstate. For instance, the activity monitor may exit to the virgin state904 in response to one actuation, the learning mode 906 in response to asecond actuation and the operational mode 908 in response to a thirdactuation.

If the alert mode 910 was entered due to a tamper event, the user may berequired to not only actuate the activity monitor, but then in responseto a prompt, enter a pass code to allow transition from the alert mode.As an example, for the embodiment presented in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a usermay be required to press and hold the center button for 10 seconds toinitiate a transfer out of a tamper event triggered alert mode. Theactivity monitor may then provide an indicator, such as flashing LED'sand/or a sound to indicate that the user must provide the pass code. Theuser may then enter a sequence of buttons 120 that satisfies therequired pass code. It should be appreciated that the pass code may befactory set and provided to the user along with the activity monitor or,the pass code can be programmed by the user in virgin mode 904 or thelearning mode 906. As another example, to exit a tamper alert mode, theuser may be required to remove the cap and place it on the counter for30 seconds making sure it's stationary for at least 30 seconds. Next thecap can be replaced on the container and then by pressing and holdingone of the buttons for a prolonged period of time (i.e., 15 seconds). Inanother embodiment, an external device may be required to cause theactivity monitor 100 to exit the tamper alert mode. For instance, a keymay physically be entered into the activity monitor to reset the tamperalarm or, a signal from an external device, such as a cellulartelephone, RFID tag, etc. may be used to reset the tamper alert mode.

One embodiment of the activity monitor is a tamper detector. In thisembodiment, the activity monitor can be used exclusively to monitor theinappropriate or unauthorized use of any bottle with a cap, such asprescription drugs, alcohol, sodas in the fridge for children on specialdiets, etc. To program activity monitor to operate exclusively in atamper alert mode around the clock (i.e. no programmed schedules) theactivity monitor is placed into the learning mode. An indicator is thenprovided to the user, such as the LED's blinking and alternating fromred to green indicating it's in the learning mode. While in the learningmode, the activity monitor may then be set to operate as a tamperdetector only using a variety of techniques. In other embodiments, theactivity monitor may come factory set to only operate as a tamperdetector.

As a non-limiting example, for the above-describe embodiment thatincludes 4 program schedules, a tamper only monitor mode can be invokedby using the following programming sequence:

(1) attach the activity monitor to the container

(2) set the container down in a stable and stationary position for athreshold period of time, the time of 30 seconds is used as anon-limiting example throughout this procedure

(3) remove the cap and place the cap on the counter for 30 secondsmaking sure the cap is stationary—after 30 seconds, an LED will turngreen

(4) place the cap back onto the container and wait 30 additional secondsmaking sure the cap and container are stationary

(5) open the cap again repeating the process 3 more times by opening thecap and replacing the cap as described above. Once programmed in thetamper alert mode, one or more LED's will blink green 5 times and thenthey will be clear indicating that the tamper detection mode has beensuccessfully programmed to monitor any use of the cap at any time.

At this point, if activity is detected, the activity monitor will enterthe tamper alert mode. It will be appreciated that a variety of othertechniques can be used such as pressing and holding certain buttoncombinations, or entering certain button sequences.

In a computer interface enabled embodiment of the present invention, theactivity monitor can be communicatively coupled to a computer forprogramming. In such an embodiment, a wireless technique or a wiredtechnique may be utilized. An application program may be presented onthe computer to identify the connected activity monitor and provideprogramming instructions and capabilities for the activity monitor. Inaddition, the programmed schedules can be read from the activity monitorfor evaluation, and the historical activity of the activity monitor maybe accessed and analyzed.

Further Applications, Embodiments, and Modifications

In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the activitymonitor may be programmed at a pharmacy at the time medication isdispensed to a customer (or might be programmed remotely, such as byusing an interface/computer at the pharmacy which communicates with theactivity monitor, such as via the monitoring system). Thus, thepharmacist can program the activity monitor in accordance with thedoctor's prescription. Similarly, the activity monitor can be programmedat the doctor's office (or remotely) and provided to the patient. Forexample, the activity monitor can be programmed automatically based onthe type of drug and the information received from the doctor (i.e.,which may have been sent automatically to the pharmacist,) as well as,or pre-provided or presently provided user preferences.

In some embodiments, the activity monitor may be configured tocommunicate with an external system used by the pharmacist or thedoctor. For example, a pharmacy may utilize an automated pick systemthat dispenses medications into a container and affix labels to thecontainers. The activity monitor may communicate with the automated picksystem such that the activity monitor is programmed to store the amountof medication dispensed into the bottle and an operational schedule fortaking the medication by a patient.

One aspect that can be incorporated into various embodiments of theactivity monitor is a “buy-now” or “order-now” feature. This featureprovides a button on the activity monitor that can be pressed to triggeror initiate an order for a refill. For example, the activity monitor maybe provided with the prescription information stored within its memory.Further, the activity monitor may be wireless tethered to an Internetconnected device, such as a BLACKBERRY or IPHONE. When the “buy-now”button is pressed, prescription information may be read out of theactivity monitor and then transmitted to the user's pharmacy requestinga refill or to the doctor's office requesting a renewal of theprescription. Similarly, the activity monitor could be utilized with avariety of consumables and operate to provide such notice to a user withregards to a need to purchase additional quantity.

Another aspect that can be incorporated into various embodiments is thefeature of sending alert messages to various devices and individuals.For instance, for an elderly person, if an alert condition is detected,a message may be sent to the user's children to notify them to come andcheck on their parent. The messages can be sent in a variety for forms,such as pages, text messages, twitter postings, Facebook postings, emailmessages, etc.

As indicated above, in one embodiment, the activity monitor may beconfigured to communicate with an external device such as a server orthe like. The server may then be configured to communication with one ormore additional devices, such as user computer, phone, tablet or thelike. In another embodiment, the activity monitor may be configured tocommunicate directly with a user device, such as via a transmitter ortransceiver which supports one or more compatible communicationprotocols with the user device. For example, the activity monitor maysend alert messages to indicate that it is time to take a dose ofmedicine. For instance, the activity monitor may send a text message,email message, or any other variety of messages to a user's device, suchas a cellular telephone, PDA, IPHONE, etc. The user is then notifiedthat it is time to take his or her medication.

For example, when the activity monitor determines that it is time totake a dose of medicine, the activity monitor may send a communicationvia WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, etc. to a user's mobile device to generate areminder on the mobile device that it is time for the user to take thedose of medicine. The system may further be configured such that thealert or reminder on the mobile device is configured to remain on themobile device until one or more of the sensors on the activity monitordetermines that the medicine has been taken from the container. In otherwords, unlike other alerts on the mobile device that may easily bedismissed via action taken on the mobile device, the system may beconfigured so that the alert on the mobile device is only dismissedbased on a signal from the activity monitor that the medicine has beendispensed. For example, the user's mobile device might be configured(such as via an activity application on their phone) to display a red“take medication” screen which is only removed if the monitoring systemand/or user device receive an activity report from the activity monitorwhich indicates that the medication has been taken.

In one embodiment, the user may utilize an application which runs ontheir device or a web browser, as an interface to the activity monitor.The activity monitor may provide raw data to the user's device which isthen processed or utilized by such an application, or the activitymonitor might be configured to process data. As one example, theactivity monitor might send information regarding a detected mass of thecontainer and/or contents at a first time and information regarding adetected mass of the container and/or contents at a second time. Theserver or user device might then process the mass readings or data tocalculate or determine that a certain quantity of medication was taken.For example, the server or user device might calculate the change inmass and compare that change in mass to a mass of a designated dose ofmedication to determine that the user removed an amount of medicine fromthe container which corresponds to the dose of medicine the user wasscheduled to take. In another example, the activity monitor mightinclude processing capabilities to utilize detected measurements togenerate a processed output. As one example, the activity monitor itselfmight utilize stored mass data to determine a change in mass and thenreport that change in mass or a determined medicine dose to a remotedevice.

In further embodiments, the system or a user device may create adetailed record of the medicine being dispensed by the container withwhich the activity monitor is associated. For example, each time aperson takes a medicine within the dispenser, the system or a userdevice may track information associated with the event. The informationmay include, among other things: (1) what is being consumed, such as anidentification of the medicine within the container; (2) who is takingthe medicine, such as via an identification authorization via a mobiledevice or the activity monitor through a password, fingerprint sensor,or other identification method; (3) when the medicine is being consumed,such as via a time stamp recorded by the activity monitor and/orassociated mobile device; (4) where the medicine was taken, such as vialocation data generated from the activity monitor or a mobile device viaGPS, a network location, or the like; and (5) how much of the medicationis taken, such as through a known dosage, or through sensors detectingchanges in volume, mass, or the like.

The data obtained through the activity monitor may be configured to beaccessed through a monitoring network or system and be combined withother health monitoring services. For example, a user may subscribe toany number of health oriented websites or may own other healthmonitoring devices such as heart rate monitors, pedometers, sleeptracking devices, smart scales, etc. The information from the activitymonitor may be associated with other data from such websites or devicesto provide the user or a health care provider more information relatingto the health of the user.

As one example, the monitoring system or the user's device might beconfigured to obtain information from a user's heart rate monitor. Thesystem might detect a spike in a user's heartrate after medication wastaken by the user (as determined by an output of the activity monitor).As a result, the system might warn the user to contact their physicianor might automatically send a report to the physician. As anotherexample, the system might detect changes in the weight of the user asobtained from an external system or device (such as an “e-scale” used bythe user). The change in weight might also trigger warnings or mightcause the monitor to indicate that a different amount of medicationshould be taken.

As another example, the user's device or the monitoring system maycommunicate with an external pharmacy computer or system. In oneembodiment, the pharmacy may fill a prescription. Medicine information,dosage information or the like may be provided to the user's device orthe monitoring system. For example, the monitoring system might beprovided with information indicating that the user should take 1 pill 2times daily. The monitoring system may then utilize that information totrigger alerts to the user and to correlate user activity from theactivity monitor. As one example, the monitoring system may obtaininformation from the activity monitor which indicates that a user tookan amount of medicine from the container (such as determined by changein mass, volume or the like) in the morning and evening of day 1,consistent with the prescription. If the activity monitor does notindicate activity, the monitoring system may provide an alert to theuser (such as via the user's mobile device, etc.), consistent with theprescription.

In one embodiment, the monitoring system might also use activitymonitoring data to trigger a refill request with the pharmacy. Forexample, the monitoring system might be provided with data from thepharmacy that 30 pills are provided. Once the activity monitor indicatesthat 30 activities correlating to the taking of those pills have beendetected, the monitoring system might automatically report such to thepharmacy and/or request a refill.

Of course, the user's device and/or the monitoring system might beintegrated with other systems. For example, a user might track theirdietary intake via a dietary monitoring system (such as a web-basedsystem). The user might link their account to such a system with themonitoring system, whereby the monitoring system can obtain informationabout the user's diet. This may cause the monitoring system to generatewarnings (such as when the system detects that the user has eaten foodwhich may cause a reaction to the medication or the like), to adjust thevolume of medicine which should be taken (such as by informing the userand changing the programming associated with the activity monitor).

In some embodiments, a user may set up an account or otherwise input orprovide user information (such as name of physician and contact info;emergency or family contact info; name of pharmacist and contact info,etc., where contact information might comprise a phone number, emailaddress, etc.). Information obtained from the activity monitor(s) may beassociated with the user or the user's account, such as with themonitoring system or the user's device. Further, the other informationwhich is provided by the user might similarly be stored or associated.As one example, the monitoring system may create one or more datarecords which are associated with the user. The monitoring system mayutilize those data records, for example, to locate contact informationin order to alert the user's physician in the event of an overdose ofmedication, a detected reaction or the like. Similarly, the monitoringsystem might use the user's stored family information to providingmedication reminders to the user and their designated family members.

In some embodiments, information may be input or provided by a user totheir user device which is correlated or associated with the activitymonitoring data. As one example, an activity monitor might include akeypad which allows a user to input a user ID or password. Thisinformation might be associated with other detected activity informationand be provided to the user's device or the monitoring system, thusallowing to determine that the detected activity was performed by theuser. However, in another embodiment, the activity monitor might detectan event, such as medication being removed from the container, andtransmit that information to the user's device. The user's device mightthen prompt the user to confirm that they engaged in the activity or toenter a code, password or the like to identify themselves to thusconfirm that the user engaged in the activity.

In general, aspects of features of the method and system might beimplemented solely by the activity monitor(s). In other embodiments,some of the functionality might be implemented via one or more externaldevices, such as a user's device (computer, tablet, PDA, smart phone,etc.) and/or a remote system/server.

As indicated herein, in some embodiments, the activity monitor maysimply include accelerometer(s) to detect movement or a mass measuringdevice. However, in other embodiments the activity monitor may includemore complex technology to measure volumes of material within thecontainer. In such an embodiment, the activity monitor can effectivelynotify a user when the dosage taken was too small, too large or justright. In addition, this embodiment of the activity monitor can detectwhen the contents are getting low and initiate or alert that it is timeto refill the prescription. For instance, the activity monitor mayinclude a sensor, such as a depth finder technology sensor, that can beused to determine the volume of contents. When the activity monitor isfirst installed, the sensor conducts an initial volume check. After eachsubsequent opening, the sensor again checks to content volumes. If anunusual change in volume is detected, or if no change is detected when achange was expected, and alert can be provided. Further the types ofmeasuring or detection devices may, as indicated herein, vary. Forexample, newly developed “micro” detection devices may be utilized inorder to minimize the size of the activity monitor.

FIGS. 12A and 12B show one example of a scale that can comprise, be usedin place of or be used in conjunction with, the above described activitymonitor. In this embodiment, the scale 1200 is a self-contained activityreporting device which is configured to detect activity associated witha container and report such activities, such as to a separate device. Inone embodiment, the scale 1200 is configured to detect activityassociated with a container as represented by changes in its mass (suchas when contents of the container are removed).

As illustrated, the scale 1200 includes a housing 1210 having a topportion 1212 and a bottom portion 1214. The top portion 1212 and bottomportion 1214 may be joined together in a manner which forms a seam 1216about a side of the housing 1210. The top portion 1212 includes anopening 1218 that accommodates a loading member 1230.

FIG. 13 shows an exploded view of the scale 1200 shown in FIGS. 12A and12B. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the bottom portion 1214 of the housingincludes an inner cylindrical flange 1220 forming a depression 1222. Thedepression is configured to receive a printed circuit board (“PCB”)1240. The PCB 1240 comprises a sensor 1242, such as a pressuretransducer; load cells such as hydraulic, pneumatic, piezoelectric,capacitive, or strain gauge load cells; or other types of force sensorscapable of measuring a force that are now known or are later developed.The PCB 1240 further comprises circuitry 1244 such as a processor; atransmitter or transceiver for transmitting data to an external device,such as a mobile phone, via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or the like; amemory; and other required devices, similar to those described above.The PCB 1240 further comprises a battery 1246 that powers the PCB duringuse.

FIG. 14 shows a cross-section view of the scale described in FIGS.12A-13. As shown in FIG. 14, the loading member 1230 includes a flexiblemember 1232. In this example, the flexible member 1232 is configured tosupport a prescription bottle of medicine. However, the flexible member1232 may be configured to support any container having contents whichare monitored by the activity monitor. On a lower surface of theflexible member 1232, there is a plunger 1234. The plunger 1234 isconfigured to come into contact with or other actuate the sensor 1242 ofthe PCB 1240. That is, when a load is placed onto the loading member1230, the flexible member 1232 deforms and the plunger 1234 comes intocontact with and/or exerts increased pressure on the sensor 1242. Ofcourse, instead of flexing or deforming under load, the flexible member1232 might be generally rigid and be configured to move, such as up anddown relative to the PCB 1240.

The loading member 1230 further comprises a cylindrical extending member1236 that has an annular flange 1238. The top portion 1212 of thehousing 1210 includes a downward, cylindrical extension 1228 thatsurrounds the cylindrical extending member 1236. The annular flange 1238is configured to sit below the cylindrical extension 1228 of the topportion 1212 and on an inner surface of the bottom portion 1214, therebyholding the loading member 1230 in place.

As shown in FIG. 14, the housing 1210 is joined where an uppercylindrical flange 1224 of the top portion 1212 joins a lowercylindrical flange 1226 of the bottom portion 1214. The flanges 1224,1226 may be joined together via a snap fit, force fit, adhesive,welding, or the like.

The scale 1200 may thus be used as an activity monitor or may be used incombination with the above described activity monitor. Specifically, thescale 1200 measures the mass of the prescription bottle placed on thescale 1200, including the contents of the bottle. When contents aretaken out of the bottle, the scale 1200 can determine a change in massof the bottle and its associated contents, and can thus determine thatcontents have been removed by a decrease in the mass of the bottle, andcan thus also determine the amount of medicine taken or removed. Themass data obtained by the scale 1200 may be transmitted via thecommunication interface (transmitter or transceiver) to the activitymonitor or to another device, such as a mobile, phone, as part of aschedule, reminder, or alarm system, consistent with the processesalready described herein. In this manner, the scale 1200 monitors theactivity associated with the contents of the bottle. In one embodiment,the scale 1200 may be mounted to the bottom of a medicinal container,such as by being connected thereto, for this purpose.

FIGS. 15A and 15B show a scale 1500 that may be connected to a bottle orcontainer, such as by being built into or inserted into such a bottle orcontainer, for detecting or measuring the change of contents stored inthe bottle. Similar to the scale 1200, the scale 1500 may be used tomeasure the mass of the bottle and the contents therein to track achange in mass of the contents as a user removes contents from thebottle.

As shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, the scale 1500 may be disposed in abottom portion of a bottle 1560, such as a prescription medicine bottleor container. The bottle 1560 may include a cap 1570. The cap 1570 maybe a standard cap or may comprise the activity monitor described above.The scale 1500 may include a lower housing 1510, a PCB 1530, a battery1540, and circuitry 1550.

FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of the bottle according to oneexemplary embodiment. In FIG. 16, the bottle 1560 comprises an openbottom 1566. Near the bottom 1566 of the bottle, there are a pluralityof cutouts 1562. The cutouts 1562 are configured to retain the housing1510 within the bottle 1560, as described in more detail below. Thebottle 1560 further comprises a plurality of seating ribs 1564. Theseating ribs 1564 are configured to seat onto the PCB 1530, as describedin more detail below.

The housing 1510 comprises a bottom surface 1511 with a cylindrical wall1512 extending upwards from the bottom surface 1511. The cylindricalwall 1511 includes a plurality of cutouts 1514. A flexible projection1516 extends upwardly in the cutout 1514. Each projection 1516 mayextend outwardly of the cylindrical wall 1512, so as to project into orcontacts a bottle, as disclose below. At a top end of the projection1516, there is a catch 1518 that extends outwardly from the cylindricalwall 1512. The housing 1510 further comprises a number of reinforcingribs 1520 that extend from a central plunger 1522 to the cylindricalwall. The plunger 1522 is raised with respect to the ribs 1520.

FIG. 18 shows a section view of a bottle or container having theintegrated or internal scale, according to one exemplary embodiment. InFIG. 18, the housing 1510 is attached to the bottle 1560 by the catch1518 being inserted into the cutout 1562. In one embodiment, the catch1518 has an inclined surface 1524 that biases the flexible projection1516 inward when the housing 1510 is inserted into the bottom 1566 ofthe bottle 1560. The flexible projection 1516 returns to its originalconfiguration when the catch 1518 reaches the cutout 1562, therebyinserting the catch 1518 into the cutout 1562.

With the housing 1510 inserted into the bottom 1566 of the bottle 1560,the seating ribs 1564 are disposed so as to rest on the PCB 1530 of thescale 1500. In this configuration, the PCB 1530 supports the mass of thebottle 1560 along with its contents. As shown in FIG. 18, the seating ofthe ribs 1564 on the PCB 1530 causes the bottom 1566 of the bottle 1560to be disposed above the bottom surface 1511 of the housing 1510.

The PCB 1530 in this embodiment may be similar to the PCB 1240 shown inFIG. 14, and may include processors, memories, transceivers, and thelike. The PCB 1530 comprises a sensor 1532 disposed on a bottom side ofthe PCB 1530. When the mass of the bottle 1560 is applied to the PCB1530, the mass is transferred to the housing via the plunger 1522. Theplunger 1522 is in contact with the sensor 1532 to thereby measure themass of the bottle 1560 and contents therein. The contents in the bottleare held on a platform 1566 disposed within the bottle 1560 above thescale 1500.

The scale 1500 may thus be used as an activity monitor or be used incombination with the above described activity monitor. Specifically, thescale 1500 measures the mass of the bottle within which the scale 1200is inserted. When contents are taken out of the bottle, the scale tracksthat a portion of the contents have been removed by a decrease in themass of the bottle. The mass data obtained by the scale 1200 may betransmitted to the activity monitor or to an external device, such as amobile, phone, as part of a schedule, reminder, or alarm system,consistent with the processes already described herein. In this manner,the scale 1500 monitors the activity associated with the contents of thebottle.

FIGS. 19A and 19B show a scale 1900 and container wherein the scale isconfigured to detect or measures the mass of just contents of acontainer. As shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the scale 1900 may be used tomeasure the mass of the contents held within a bottle 1960. The scale1900 comprises a housing 1910, a PCB 1930 (with atransmitter/transceiver, etc.), a battery 1940, and a weighing platform1950.

FIG. 20 shows a bottle for use with the scale 1900, according to oneexemplary embodiment. The bottle 1960 comprises an open bottom 1966.Near the bottom 1966 are a number of cutouts 1962 that hold the scale1900 within the open bottom 1966 of the bottle 1960. Further, there area number of seating ribs 1964 to stabilize the bottle 1960 with respectto the scale 1900. An annular downward projection 1968 extends downwardfrom a conical member 1976 disposed within the bottle 1960. The downwardprojection 1968 includes a pair of cutouts 1970 with flexible extensions1972 extending within the cutouts 1970. Each of the extensions 1972includes a retention snap 1974 that attaches to the scale 1900 as willbe described in more detail below.

FIG. 21 shows a platform portion of a scale, according to one exemplaryembodiment. The platform 1950 comprises a loading plate 1951 having atop loading surface 1952 and a bottom surface 1954. A column 1955extends downward from the bottom surface 1954. The column 1955 comprisesa groove 1957 that interacts with the retention snaps 1974 describedabove. The distal end 1958 of the column comprises an inclined surfacethat allows for a snap fit connection, and a plunger 1956.

FIG. 22 shows a housing for the scale, according to one exemplaryembodiment. The housing 1910 comprises a cylindrical wall 1912 extendupwards from the bottom surface 1911 of the housing 1910. Thecylindrical wall 1912 comprises a number of cutouts 1914 with flexibleextensions 1916 extending therein. The flexible extensions 1916 comprisesnaps 1918 for attaching to the bottle 1960. Specifically, the snapsinteract with the cutouts 1962 to hold the housing 1910 within the openbottom 1966 of the bottle 1960.

FIG. 23 shows a cross-section view of the bottle and scale according toone exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 23, the housing 1910 issnapped into the bottle 1960 via the snap 1918 and cutouts 1962. Thebattery 1940 is disposed in the housing 1910 within the cylindrical wall1912. The PCB 1930 is disposed above the battery 1940, and the seatingribs 1964 is abutted against the PCB 1930 to hold it in position.

The PCB 1930 is similar to PCBs 1530 and 1240 described above, andincludes a sensor 1932 and circuitry 1934. The sensor 1932 may be anysensor capable of detecting pressure or a force acting against thesensor. The circuitry 1934 includes a processor, memories, andtransceivers as described above to work as or in conjunction with theactivity monitor described herein.

The plate 1951 of the platform 1950 is disposed above the conical member1976. The column 1955 of the loading platform 1950 extends through theannular downward extension 1968 with the retention snaps 1974 catchingthe annular groove 1957. The plunger 1956 is configured to come intocontact with and actuate the sensor 1932. Accordingly, when contents areput into the bottle 1960, the contents rest on the loading platform1950. The mass of the contents on the platform 1950 is transferredthrough the plunger 1956 to the sensor 1930, thereby measuring the massof the contents.

The scale 1900 may thus be used as an activity monitor or in combinationwith the above described activity monitor. Specifically, the scale 1900measures the mass of the contents of the bottle in which it is placed.When contents are taken out of the bottle, the scale tracks that aportion of the contents have been removed by a decrease in the mass ofthe contents. The mass data obtained by the scale 1900 may betransmitted to the activity monitor or to an external device, such as amobile, phone, as part of a schedule, reminder, or alarm system,consistent with the processes already described herein. In this manner,the scale 1900 monitors the activity associated with the contents of thebottle. One advantage of the scale of this embodiment is that itdirectly detects or measures the mass of just the contents of the bottleor container. Thus, for example, the scale would not detect a medicinalactivity if the user simply removed the cap of the container becausewhile such would change the mass of the container, that action would notchange the mass of the medicinal contents.

The activity monitor can be provided and marketed in a variety ofmanners. For instance, in one embodiment, the activity monitors may bedisposable devices that are thrown away with the empty medicine bottles.In such an embodiment, programming can be simplified as the device willbe used with only one medicine for a limited period of time. In such anembodiment, the activity monitor may be sold by itself, or in groups,such as 4 packs and 6 packs, with the batteries already installed butdisabled by use of a plastic isolating strip that can be removed whendesired for operation. In other embodiments, the activity monitor mayinclude a replaceable or chargeable battery and can be reused andreprogrammed multiple times.

In the description and claims of the present application, each of theverbs, “comprise”, “include” and “have”, and conjugates thereof, areused to indicate that the object or objects of the verb are notnecessarily a complete listing of members, components, elements, orparts of the subject or subjects of the verb.

In this application the words “unit” and “module” are usedinterchangeably. Anything designated as a unit or module may be astand-alone unit or a specialized module. A unit or a module may bemodular or have modular aspects allowing it to be easily removed andreplaced with another similar unit or module. Each unit or module may beany one of, or any combination of, software, hardware, and/or firmware.

The present invention has been described using detailed descriptions ofembodiments thereof that are provided by way of example and are notintended to limit the scope of the invention. The described embodimentscomprise different features, not all of which are required in allembodiments of the invention. Some embodiments of the present inventionutilize only some of the features or possible combinations of thefeatures. Variations of embodiments of the present invention that aredescribed and embodiments of the present invention comprising differentcombinations of features noted in the described embodiments will occurto persons of the art.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the presentinvention is not limited by what has been particularly shown anddescribed herein above. Rather the scope of the invention is defined bythe claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A content monitoring apparatus configured tomonitor a container, the content monitoring apparatus comprising: ahousing that is mounted into and disposed within an open bottom of thecontainer; and a scale disposed on the housing which detects a weight ofcontents within the container; wherein the housing comprises an outerwall that fits within the bottom of the container, and a plunger thatinteracts with a weight sensor of the scale, the plunger supporting thecontainer and the contents therein.
 2. The content monitoring apparatusof claim 1 further comprising a processing unit communicatively coupledto the scale, the processing unit comprising a transceiver thatcommunicates with a computing device to send information to thecomputing device regarding activity associated with the container asdetected by the scale.
 3. The content monitoring apparatus of claim 2wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device of a user.
 4. Thecontent monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scale comprises apressure activated detector.
 5. The content monitoring apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the scale detects the weight of contents within thecontainer by sensing a weight of both the container and the contents. 6.The content monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the housingfurther comprises a printed circuit board on which a processing unit andthe weight sensor are disposed, the container comprises seating ribs onan interior surface, and the seating ribs are disposed on the printedcircuit board to transfer the weight of the container and the contentstherein to the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board beingsupported by the plunger of the housing through the interaction of theweight sensor and the plunger.
 7. A content monitoring apparatusconfigured to monitor a container, the content monitoring apparatuscomprising: a housing comprising an annular opening; a scale comprisinga battery and a printed circuit board disposed within the housing, theprinted circuit board comprising a weight sensor and a processing unit;and a loading member comprising a flexible member disposed within theannular opening of the housing, the loading member contacting the weightsensor, wherein the loading member is configured such that the containermay rest thereon and a weight of the container is transferred throughthe flexible member to the weight sensor to detect a mass of thecontainer and contents therein.
 8. The content monitoring apparatus ofclaim 7, wherein the housing comprises a top portion and a bottomportion, the annular opening is disposed in the top portion, the bottomportion comprises an annular flange forming a depression, and thebattery and the printed circuit board are disposed within thedepression.
 9. The content monitoring apparatus of claim 7, wherein theprocessing unit comprises a transceiver that communicates with acomputing device to send information to the computing device regardingactivity associated with the container as detected by the scale.
 10. Thecontent monitoring apparatus of claim 9 wherein the computing devicecomprises a mobile device of a user.
 11. The content monitoringapparatus of claim 7, wherein the scale comprises a pressure activateddetector.
 12. The content monitoring apparatus of claim 7, wherein theloading member further comprises a plunger attached to the flexiblemember, the plunger being configured to interact with the weight sensor.13. The content monitoring apparatus of claim 7, wherein the flexiblemember comprises a cylindrical extension extending from edges of theflexible member, and an annular flange disposed at an end of thecylindrical extension, the annular flange locking the flexible member tothe housing.
 14. A content monitoring apparatus configured monitor acontainer, the content monitoring apparatus comprising: a housing thatis mounted into and disposed within an open bottom of the container; anda scale disposed on the housing which detects a weight of contentswithin the container; wherein the housing further comprises a weighingplatform, the weighing platform including a column extending from alower surface of the weighing platform, the column comprising a plungerthat interacts with a weight sensor of the scale to detect the weight ofthe contents within the container that are disposed on a loading surfaceof the weighing platform; whereby the scale detects the weight of thecontents within the container independent of a weight of the container.15. The content monitoring apparatus of claim 14, wherein the housingcomprises a battery and a printed circuit board on which a processingunit and the weight sensor are disposed, the plunger of the weighingplatform being configured to seat on the weight sensor disposed on theprinted circuit board.